folic acid food fortification

food safety authority of ireland ISSN

1393-6972volum

e 7issue 2

march/april2005

2 fortifying the health of our nation

3 folic acid: today and everyday

4 sudan red 1: product recall

5 radical reduction in salt required

6-7 chips with everything! - but beware of acrylamide …

8 zoonosis report for ireland published

9 fsai/daf regional meetings

9 food safety in portugal:new agency established

10 verocytotoxin producing e. colio157 and other vtec: surveillance

11 local authority veterinary service annual conference

12-13 national food surveillance programme, 2005

14 codex committee on fish and fishery products

wireless access points in abbey court

service contract review

recent publications

15 butchershop supervision

open consultation

16 new appointment

The Food Safety Authority of Ireland and theDepartment of Health and Children areworking together through the NationalCommittee on Food Fortification with FolicAcid to find solutions to reduce theprevalence of neural tube defects (NTDs) inIreland. NTDs are a group of severe birthdefects, such as spina bifida, that can developin babies during the first weeks of pregnancy.It has been established that taking folic acid, aB vitamin, before conception and during earlypregnancy, can help reduce the risk of NTDs.

While Irish women of childbearing age havebeen advised to take a folic acid supplementsince 1993, very few women take thesupplements in time to protect theirpregnancy.The possibility of fortifying a staplefood, such as flour, with folic acid is nowbeing considered.

A public consultation document has beenproduced by the National Committee onFood Fortification with Folic Acid whichoutlines the options available for thefortification of flour with folic acid.Submissions and views are invited from thegeneral public as well as all interested parties.The outcome of the consultation will bedictated by the views of Irish people and willlead to a policy decision that should reducethe number of births affected by NTDs inIreland in the long-term.

Pictured at the launch of the consultation process on thepossible fortification of food with folic acid are: Dr JohnO’Brien, CEO, FSAI and Maureen Lynott, Chair, NationalCommittee on Food Fortification with Folic Acid,with Eva Dunne.

On 21st March, the National Committee on Food Fortification with

Folic Acid announced a public consultation for moving forward on the

prevention of neural tube defects (NTDs) - the most common birth

defects among Irish babies. NTDs include spina bifida and affect as many

as 67 pregnancies every year. They are responsible for the highest

number of deaths among newborn babies in Ireland and result in serious

disability in the majority of survivors. In 1991 it was established that up

to 70% of these defects can be prevented if women take a supplement

containing folic acid (the synthetic form of the B vitamin folate). The

supplement should be taken at least two months prior to conception

and for the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. However, many international

studies have shown that only about one in five women take a folic acid

supplement in time to protect their pregnancies.There are two reasons

why this happens - firstly, the neural tube develops very shortly after

conception, and secondly, up to half of all pregnancies occur in women

who are not planning to become pregnant.Therefore, by the time most

women realise they are pregnant, it is too late to take folic acid.

Due to the lack of success in persuading all women of childbearing age

to take a folic acid supplement, the US and Canada passed legislation in

1996 which effectively meant that from 1998 all flour-containing

products had folic acid added. This ensured that all women of

childbearing age in the US and Canada received approximately 100µg of

folic acid every day. Recent reports indicate that this has been extremely

effective at reducing the prevalence of NTDs, where reductions of

between 19 and 78% have been recorded. In general the reductions in

NTD prevalence have been greatest where prevalence was initially

highest. Following a worldwide trend, prevalence rates of NTDs have

fallen in Ireland since 1980, however Ireland still continues to have one

of the highest rates of pregnancies affected by NTDs in Europe.

The emergence of such strong evidence of effectiveness in preventing a

major cause of birth defects highlights the public health significance of

folic acid food fortification in Ireland. At present, the type of voluntary

folic acid food fortification we have misses 40% of women of

childbearing age. Data from the US and Canada shows that mandatory

or structured fortification of a staple food, such as flour or bread,

ensures a higher folate status in the whole population, including women

who are unaware they have conceived and women with low folate

status. For example, people with low incomes are known to have poorer

folate status and a higher risk of having a pregnancy affected by an NTD.

This is most likely due to fruits, vegetables, fortified foods and dietary

supplements being economically out of reach.A fortification programme

of the type proposed would ensure all women, regardless of income,

would benefit.

In conclusion, the public consultation on folic acid food fortification

provides an opportunity for comment on the three policy options to

ensure women in Ireland have enough folic acid at time of conception.

Public opinion on the various alternatives available is essential for making

a final decision on the best option for moving forward. I would

encourage everyone from the general public to groups with a special

interest, to visit www.folicacid.ie and make a submission - all viewpoints

are needed to ensure we take the best way forward.This consultation

will be open until 24th June 2005.

Dr John O’Brien

Chief Executive, FSAI

fortifying the health of our nation

“By the time most women realise they arepregnant, it is too late to take folic acid.”

Pictured are Gemma Staunton and Eva Dunne at the launch of theconsultation process on the possible fortification of food with folic acid.

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folic acid: today and everydaySince 1993, national health policies haveurged women of childbearing age to take afolic acid supplement and to eat foods thatcontain high levels of natural folate, toprovide the extra 400µg of folic acidrequired. However, as mentioned previously,research shows that only one in fivepregnant women take a folic acidsupplement and over a third of womenconsume no folic acid at all - either throughfood or supplements.

Almost 50% of all pregnancies in Ireland areunplanned and these women are veryunlikely to have been taking enough folicacid to prevent possible NTDs in theirbabies. In addition, where pregnancies areplanned, research from the CoombeWomen's Hospital has shown that only 21%of women take folic acid during the correcttimeframe. Hence, fortification is beinglooked at as an option.

A public consultation process which seeksthe views of the general public andinterested parties on the possiblefortification of food with folic acid iscurrently underway. Three options areoutlined in the consultation document.They are:

1. Structured Voluntary Fortification -Flour millers and bakers would bepermitted to add specified levels of folicacid voluntarily to bread, which wouldthen carry a special logo and a healthclaim.The practice of allowing voluntaryfortification of other foods with folic acidwould continue. This would requirelegislative change.

2. Mandatory Fortification - (a) of bread-making flour to ensure a targeted level offolic acid is present in all breads, or (b) ofall flour to ensure a targeted level of folicacid in all flour-containing foods. Thiswould require legislative change.

3. Continue with the Current Practice -Intermittent health promotioncampaigns to raise public awareness ofthe need for women to take a folic acidsupplement and have a diet rich infolates, while the background diet inIreland would permit the unstructuredvoluntary fortification of foods with folic acid.

The objective of this consultation is toreview the best policy for going forwardthat will provide actions to help reduce the

incidence of NTDs in Ireland. All interestedparties are urged to review the consultationdocument and to make their views knownbefore the 24th June 2005.

It is intended that the public consultationwill engage with audiences - particularlyfemale - to inform them of the benefits offolic acid and seek their input into thisimportant area.The consultation period willbe for three months, following which theCommittee will report its findings.

AdvertisingA national television advertising campaign iscurrently underway and is being aired forthe three months of the consultation. Theaim of this advertising campaign is tohighlight the importance of taking folic acidand to influence people to makesubmissions. The campaign targets allwomen of childbearing age and interestedparties in food fortification and is expectedto reach 90% of all females in Ireland.

The advertisement is a colourful computeranimation piece with one female centralcharacter. It puts across the idea that if yousee yourself with a baby of your own oneday, then now is the time to start thinkingabout folic acid.

Additional informationA dedicated website, www.folicacid.ie hasbeen developed where people can accessinformation, view the public consultationdocument and submit their opinions. Thewebsite also provides links to agencywebsites on folic acid in other countries. Inaddition, an information leaflet is availableon the site.The leaflet can also be obtainedby emailing: info@folicacid.ie or calling 1890 336677.

How to make a submissionA questionnaire has been prepared to assistwith the submission process. Thequestionnaire is available online atwww.folicacid.ie or by contacting the FSAIon 1890 336677. All comments are welcome on the questions posed in thequestionnaire. However, you are alsowelcome to comment on any additionalissues relating to the reduction of NTDs inIreland. Equally, if you wish to make asubmission on just one aspect of theoptions, there is no obligation to completeall of the questions posed. All submissionformats will be accepted.

The questionnaire can be completed online(on www.folicacid.ie) or downloaded andposted to the following address:

Folic Acid Consultation SubmissionsFood Safety Authority of IrelandAbbey Court,Lower Abbey St,Dublin 1

The questionnaire, or other submissionformats may also be emailed or faxed:

E-mail: submissions@folicacid.ie

Fax: 01 8171301

Closing date for receipt of submissions is5pm, 24th June 2005

When all submissions have been analysedthe National Committee on FoodFortification with Folic Acid will make apolicy recommendation to the Minister forHealth and Children. In addition, a summaryof all submissions will be available to thepublic on www.folicacid.ie. Information canalso be obtained by contacting the FSAI on1890 336677.

Neural Tube Defects (NTDs) are a majorgroup of birth defects that occur when thebrain, spinal cord or the covering of theseorgans has not developed properly.Anencephaly and spina bifida are themost common types of NTDs in Ireland.

Anencephaly is a fatal condition in whichthe upper end of the neural tube fails toclose. In these cases, the brain either nevercompletely develops or is totally absent.Pregnancies affected by anencephaly oftenresult in miscarriages. Infants who are bornalive die very soon after birth.

Spina bifida occurs when the lower end ofthe neural tube fails to close.Thus, the spinalcord and back bones do not developproperly. Sometimes, a sac of fluid protrudesthrough an opening in the back, and a portionof the spinal cord is often contained in thissac. Children with spina bifida can havevarying degrees of paralysis of their lowerlimbs - some children can be confined to awheelchair, whereas others have almost nosymptoms at all. Spina bifida can also causebowel and bladder problems.

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The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) issued an alertnotification on Sudan Red 1 on 18th February last. The food alertgrabbed the attention of the media with both hands. Over 50newspaper articles were dedicated to the topic; RTE, TV3 and SkyNews Ireland all gave extensive coverage to the alert; and almostevery national and regional radio station updated their listeners regularly.

Where did the product recall originate? Information was received from the Food Standards Agency in theUK concerning the discovery that Premier Foods (UK),manufacturers of Crosse and Blackwell’s Worcester sauce, had usedspice contaminated with Sudan Red 1 in the manufacture of its sauce products.

Sudan Red 1 is a dye that is used industrially for colouring solvents,oils, waxes, petrol, and shoe and floor polishes. It has been bannedas a food colourant throughout Europe since 2003 due to itscarcinogenic properties. Sudan Red 1 could contribute to anincreased risk of cancer and it is not possible to identify a safe levelor to quantify the risk, hence the ban.

Premier Foods supplies to manufacturers of various branded sauceand other food products, such as ready meals and soups.As a result,a total of 67 products available on the Irish market were affected.They included products from Marks & Spencer, Iceland, Tesco,Schwartz, Pot Noodle,Waitrose, Heinz, Green Isle, Bird’s Eye,AuntBessies,Walkers, Dawn Fresh, Crosse & Blackwell, Colmans, ChicagoTown and Aldi. This was the largest number of products everaffected by a product recall in Ireland.

How serious was the risk to consumers?At the levels of Sudan Red 1 present in the food products affected,the risk that it could contribute to an increased risk of cancer waslikely to be very small. There was no risk of immediate illnessfollowing consumption of the products. However, the fact that thedye is illegal in food products, coupled with expert advice thatconsumers should not be exposed to the dye, lead to the instigationof the alert.

What happened next?The FSAI worked with the food industry and official agencies tomake sure that all products which were contaminated were tracedand any foods that may have been contaminated were removed fromthe shelves. Consumers were advised not to consume the productsand if they had any affected items, they should either throw themout or return them to the shop where they purchased them.A listof affected food products on the Irish market was made available onthe FSAI website and consumers could also obtain the list or seekfurther information or advice by calling the FSAI advice-line.All affected products were withdrawn from the Irish market.

From the time the food alert was released, visits to the FSAI websiteand calls to the advice-line increased substantially, with Tuesday 22ndFebruary proving to be the peak in respect to consumer concern.On the Tuesday alone, 21,822 unique visits were recorded on theFSAI website and a total of 118,139 pages were downloaded fromthe site. On an average week day, the number of visits to the site isapproximately just over 1,000.

The FSAI advice-line was also busy with a number of extra staffrequired to operate the phone line. A total of 1,261 calls werereceived in relation to the Sudan Red 1 related product recall, with634 of those recorded on Tuesday 22nd.The average number of callsper week to the advice-line is just under 200.

Could this happen again?In order to stop this happeningagain, all dried and crushed orground chilli coming into anyEU Member State must beaccompanied by a certificateshowing it has been testedand found to be free of SudanRed 1. Any consignment thatdoes not have a certificate is detained for sampling and analysis. Randomsampling is also undertakenboth at ports and by localauthorities.All consignmentsfound to contain SudanRed 1 must be destroyed.

sudan red 1: product recall

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A recent scientific report, produced by theFSAI’s Scientific Committee; Salt and Health:Review of the Scientific Evidence andRecommendations for Public Policy in Ireland, isthe first comprehensive scientific evaluationof salt intake in Ireland and concludes thatexcessive salt intake is a major factor in thenumber of deaths from cardiovasculardisease and stroke caused by high bloodpressure and hypertension each year.The report reveals that Irish people areconsuming far in excess of the dailyallowance for salt and encouragesconsumers to reduce significantly their saltintake to a maximum of six grams per day.It makes a series of policy recommendationsfor Government bodies, industrystakeholders and consumers to assistresolve this public health issue and forgreater awareness of the dangers of overconsumption of salt.

It is estimated that Irish adults currentlyconsume on average 10 grams of salt perday. However, the recommended dietaryallowance (RDA) is 4 grams of salt per dayfor adults, demonstrating that Irish adultsare currently consuming over double whatthey need.While there are no data availablefor children in Ireland, data from the UKsuggests that average daily salt intake inchildren aged 4-6 and 7-10 exceeds 5 gramsand 6 grams, respectively.

There is a direct, causal link between dietarysalt intake and raised blood pressure.An approximate 41% of all deaths in Irelandare from cardiovascular disease and over50% of the population over 50 years of agesuffer from hypertension. Excessive levels ofsalt are considered a contributory factorand one teaspoon less in the daily diet couldhave a positive influence on public health.

It is a serious health issue and one thatneeds a multi factorial approach by industryand consumers to resolve. It is estimatedthat about 15-20% of total dietary sodiumintake is from people adding salt duringcooking or at the table, 15% from naturallyoccurring sodium in unprocessedfoods, and about 65-70% frommanufactured foods. Twofood groups, meat/fish(mainly processed meat)and bread, account for over50% of sodium intake fromfoods, with the remaindercontributed by various otherprocessed foods.

The report makes a number of keyrecommendations including:

• Irish adults should reduce their daily saltintake to 6 grams per day.Whilst it is notthe optimal level, it is considered at thistime to be an achievable goal for thepopulation.

• The particular vulnerability of childrenand the elderly to the adverse effects ofhigh salt intake needs to be highlighted indiscussions with the food industryregarding new product development andthe reformulation of existing products.This should also be considered in healthpromotion campaigns mounted by publicand private bodies.

• The FSAI should work in consultationwith the food industry (manufacturers,retailers and caterers) to achievegradual, sustained and universalreductions in the salt content ofprocessed and prepared foods.

• Consideration should be given to themandatory labelling of foods with saltcontent above a specific threshold as‘high salt’, and that proposed EU healthclaims legislation sets clear guidelines forthe use of claims such as ‘low salt’ or‘reduced salt’.

The FSAI has worked closely with the foodindustry over the past year to address theissue of salt in processed foods. The FSAIfavours the dual approach of incrementallyreducing the level of salt present inmanufactured foods, as well as ensuring that

the level of salt content is clearly labelled onfood packaging. In addition to currentlabelling legislation, the FSAI is askingmanufacturers to represent ‘sodium’ as ‘salt equivalents’ in grams on food labels.

The food industry has already taken theinitial steps that have already resulted in areduction of salt levels in some processedfoods like bread. The FSAI is now in theprocess of agreeing future salt reductionplans with key processed foodmanufacturers via Food and Drink IndustryIreland, IBEC, as well as major retailers and caterers.

In the long-term, the FSAI will seek globalreductions by industry in salt added duringprocessing of up to one third.This will be atechnical challenge, and requires a long-termaction plan and research investment by industry.

There is evidence that relatively modestreductions in salt intake have the potentialto produce a significant fall in average bloodpressure, which can have a substantialimpact on the level of cardiovascular diseasein Ireland.

See: www.fsai.ie/publications/reports/salt_report.pdf for a copy of the report.Alternatively the report can be obtained by contacting the FSAI advice-line on 1890 33 66 77. (A charge of €15 applies.)

radical reduction in salt required

Pictured at the launch of the salt report are:Professor Albert Flynn, Chair, FSAI Scientific Committeeand Dr John O’Brien, CEO, FSAI.

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The problem of acrylamide in food has not gone away. As reported in fsainews in July 2002 and on the FSAI website,acrylamide is a toxic industrial chemical which has been shown to cause cancer in animals and also causes damage to thenervous system and may affect reproductive processes.Although it was well-known as a chemical used in industry, news ofits discovery in food broke in April 2002. Research into how acrylamide is formed in food showed at an early stage that thechemical was produced during the frying, toasting or baking of a variety of foods, particularly starchy foods such aspotatoes and cereal products. The amino acid asparagine and reducing sugars such as glucose and fructose are keyconstituents of foods giving rise to high levels of acrylamide.

At the time of its discovery in food, the consensus of public health specialists, toxicologists and food scientists was that thiswas a matter of concern, given its toxicological properties. The advice of food safety authorities throughout the worldtherefore was that excessive consumption of foods known to be high in acrylamide, such as fried potatoes, chips, coffeeand high-bake biscuits should be avoided, although people should not alter their eating patterns significantly otherwise andshould maintain a healthy balanced diet.

chips with everything! - but beware of acrylamide

What has happened since the discovery of acrylamide?

Since 2002, the risks of acrylamide in food have been debated bymany international bodies including the European Food SafetyAuthority (EFSA), the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) ofthe United Nations and the World HealthOrganization (WHO). The EuropeanCommission (EC) has organised stakeholdermeetings on the issue at regular intervals, withparticipants from national Governments,consumer organisations and the European foodindustry. Industry has been proactive ininvestigating mechanisms of formation ofacrylamide and has developed approaches tocontrol formation in many processed foods suchas cereals, biscuits and prepared fried potatoproducts. The findings have enabled the EC as well as national Governments to issue advice to consumers on measures that can be taken to reduce acrylamide infood. (http://www.europa.eu.int/comm/food/food/chemicalsafety/contaminants/index_en.htm). Formal risk management measuressuch as the introduction of maximum limits for acrylamide in foodhave not been introduced, however, as there has been a generalconsensus that more knowledge is needed on the exposure ofconsumers to acrylamide, how the chemical behaves in the humanbody and other aspects enabling a more detailed risk assessment.

A detailed and authoritative risk assessment, using the most up-to-date information available, has now beencarried out by the Joint Expert Committee onFood Additives and Contaminants (JECFA),an expert group of scientists who advisethe WHO and the FAO.At its meeting inFebruary 2005, JECFA used the relativelynew approach of the so-called Margin ofExposure in its risk assessment of acrylamide.This involves a comparison of the levels of exposureof a consumer to a toxic chemical in food with the levelsknown to have harmful effects in laboratory studies, including

carcinogenicity. If exposure is high and the chemical has harmfuleffects at low levels in food, then the Margin of Exposure (toxic levelof chemical divided by the estimated human exposure) is low and

the conclusion is that that there is potentiallyan increased risk to health compared with ascenario where the Margin of Exposure ishigher. In using this approach, JECFA notedthat “the advice given previously by theCommittee on compounds that are bothgenotoxic and carcinogenic has been that intakesshould be reduced to as low as reasonablyachievable (ALARA). Such advice is of limitedvalue, because it does not take into accounteither human exposure or carcinogenic potency,

and has not allowed risk managers to prioritise different contaminants orto target risk management actions.” The Margin of Exposure approachprovides a qualitative/semi-quantitative estimate of risk, which ismore useful for risk managers.

JECFA evaluated new data on the likely exposure of consumers toacrylamide in food and compared this to the levels shown to causecancer (mammary tumours) in rats.They concluded that the Marginof Exposure was on the low side (75 for high consumers eating largeamounts of foods high in acrylamide) and that estimated intake ofacrylamide from certain foods may be a human health concern.

Consumers who eat large amounts of certain fried, roastedor baked foods may therefore have an increased

risk of cancer. JECFA also concluded thatchanges in the nervous system cannot

be excluded for some individuals withvery high intake. JECFA’s opinion wasthat there is still considerable

uncertainty about the degree of healthrisk, but that further research studies will

provide more information which will enable therisk assessment to be refined. In the meantime, efforts to

reduce acrylamide levels in foodstuffs should continue.

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lamide...What are the implications of the JECFA opinion?

In 2002, scientists were not able to make any definite conclusionsabout the possible risks of acrylamide in food. JECFA has advancedbeyond this point in more definitely concluding that intake ofacrylamide from certain foods may be a human health concern.Given this conclusion, the FSAI considers that consumers shouldtake further steps to avoid acrylamide-rich foods such as chips and

other fried potatoes and to reduce their intake of coffee to 3-4 cupsa day. While other foodstuffs such as cereals and crispbreads alsocontain elevated levels of acrylamide, they have recognised positivehealth benefits and the FSAI reiterates its earlier advice thatconsumers should maintain a healthy balanced diet with a normalintake of foods such as cereals and bread.

Some Do’s and Don’ts in relation to acrylamide consumption

DO:

• eat a normal balanced diet including plenty of fruit and vegetables, but low in fat

• include cereals and bread (wholemeal)

• blanch homemade chips by soaking them in cold water for 30-60 minutes before cooking them.This reduces the levels of sugars that contribute to acrylamide formation

• store potatoes in the dark at a low temperature

• avoid excess browning of baked cereal products

• follow cooking instructions on food packets carefully

• use already boiled potatoes rather than raw potatoes when pan frying

• follow the more detailed guidance produced by the European Commission on ways to avoid acrylamide formation in food

See: www.europa.eu.int/comm/food/food/chemicalsafety/contaminants/index_en.htm

DON’T:

• eat chips or fried/roast potatoes more than twice or three times a week

• over-fry your chips (or over-cook your oven chips), or over-roast your potatoes; cook them to a golden yellow, rather than brown

• store potatoes in the refrigerator

• exceed frying temperatures of 175oC for cut potato products

• exceed baking temperatures of 200oC for conventional ovens and 190oC for fan assisted ovens when baking/cooking cut potato products

EFSA Initiative:Different approaches are currently used worldwide to assess thehuman health risks of compounds with genotoxic and carcinogenicproperties. However, the scientific aspects behind thesemethodologies are still very much debated. EFSA asked its ScientificCommittee to propose a harmonised, scientific and transparentapproach for the risk assessment of compounds that have bothgenotoxic and carcinogenic properties.A public consultation on thedraft opinion of the Scientific Committee is now open on the EFSA website: http://www.efsa.eu.int/science/sc_commitee/sc_consultations/882_en.html until 30th May next.

National Initiative:In Ireland,Teagasc, the National Food Centre is funded underthe Food Institutional Research Measure (FIRM) of theDepartment of Agriculture and Food to research acrylamide infood products. More information on this work can be accessedon www.relayresearch.ie

The FSAI has recently published the second zoonosis report forIreland covering the years 2002 and 2003.The report was compiledjointly by the FSAI, the Department of Agriculture and Food (DAF)and the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (formerly NDSC).The report features data resulting from inspections, sampling andtesting carried out by frontline staff comprising Government andlocal authority inspectors and laboratory personnel.

Zoonoses are diseases and infections that are naturally transmissiblefrom animals to humans through contaminated food and water (e.g. salmonellosis) and also by direct contact with infected insectsand animals (e.g. rabies). Data relating to zoonoses in humans andanimals as well as food and feed contaminated with zoonotic agentsare collated each year by DAF and forwarded to the EuropeanCommission, which then compiles an EU report. National zoonosisreports are vital in providing feedback that can be used to assess theeffectiveness of regulatory controls and, by comparison with EUreports, may identify strengths and weaknesses in the monitoringand control of zoonoses in Ireland.

The trends in zoonoses observed in 2002 and 2003 in Ireland didnot differ markedly from those reported in 2000 and 2001.Campylobacteriosis was again the predominant human zoonosisreported, and though incidence rates were comparable to those of2000 and 2001 in Ireland, (Figure 1) this disease was in decline in theEU in 2002.

Salmonellosis was the second most common zoonosis in Ireland in2002 and 2003 with incidence rates of nine and 12 cases per 100,000people respectively that include 15 outbreaks. (Figure 2)

The number of human verocytotoxigenic E. coli (VTEC) infectionshas been increasing since 2000, with 70 and 86 cases being reportedin 2002 and 2003 respectively.

The incidence rates of the major zoonoses continued to peak in thesummer months when outdoor cooking is prevalent andconsumption of pre-prepared and chilled foods is more common.(See Figure 3) Though the disproportionately high rate of zoonoticinfections observed in children under five years of age may be partlydue to a reporting bias, the rise in zoonoses such as VTEC infections,which can have serious health implications for vulnerable groups,is a continued cause for concern and a justification for continuedfood hygiene education campaigns.

The data presented in the most recent report does not providedefinitive evidence of cause and effect with respect to the sourcesof zoonotic infectious agents and mode of transmission resulting inhuman infection.There is however, sufficient information to guide amore focused examination of certain aspects of the food productionprocess. For example, domestic poultry had a higher level ofCampylobacter contamination than imported poultry. However, itwould be premature to draw conclusions based on this data due tovariations in the levels of sampling and until further information isavailable on the specific types of products sampled and tested.

While there is no room for complacency when dealing withzoonoses, it is important to acknowledge the considerable efforts ofall those involved in the routine monitoring and control ofzoonoses.The decline in BSE levels between 2002 and 2003, as wellas the persistently low levels of human listeriosis, tuberculosis andbrucellosis among others, is testament to the success of zoonosiscontrol and prevention in Ireland.

zoonosis report for ireland published

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Figure 2: Laboratory Confirmed Cases of Salmonellosis per Month, 2000 - 2003 (Source: HPSC)

Figure 3: Seasonal Distribution of E. coli O157 Cases in Ireland, 2000-2003(Source: HPSC and SWAHB PHL)

“Zoonoses are diseases and infections that arenaturally transmissible from animals to humansthrough contaminated food and water (e.g. salmonellosis) and also by direct contactwith infected insects and animals”

The first phase of the FSAI and theDepartment of Agriculture and Food (DAF)regional meetings for 2005 took place

during February. These meetings provide avaluable opportunity for regional inspectorsto come together and discuss recentdevelopments in the area of food safety, integrating their work into thenational arena.

Meetings with veterinary inspectors of themeat hygiene division took place on the2nd, 3rd, 9th and 10th February in Cork andRoscommon. The topics discussed includeddevelopments in the DAF service contract,introduction to and implementation of thehygiene package, the meat labelling guidancenote and audits, certification issues andveterinary procedural notices regardingenforcement procedures at approved meatand dairy plants.

Meetings were held with the dairy produceinspectorate (DPI) and staff from the threedairy science laboratories (DSL), in Kilkennyon 22nd February. The agenda for the DSLmeeting focused on an introduction to theFSAI and the DAF service contract, as thiswas the first time that the DSL and FSAImet. Items discussed at both meetingsincluded the 2004 and 2005 EU co-ordinated programmes on cheese, auditissues and the implications of the newhygiene package. Mr Jim Buckley from CorkCounty Council gave a presentation on aVTEC surveillance study on dairy herdssupplying raw milk to farmhousecheesemakers.

fsai/daf regional meetings

food safety in portugal: new agency established

Agencia Portuguesa de Seguranca Alimentar(APSA), the Portugese Food SafetyAuthority, was established in January 2005following various high profile food scares, inorder to ensure the protection of publichealth and re-establish confidence amongPortuguese consumers. APSA aims todevelop interest in Portugal for a culture ofinformation and education; delivered using aclear, transparent and participativeapproach. It will focus on the importance offood safety and healthy eating habits.

Through its co-operation with the EuropeanFood Safety Authority,APSA will participatenationally in international procedures in thefield of food safety. It will be notified of foodsafety issues through the Rapid Alert Systemfor Food and Feed (RASFF); the system usedfor exchanging information betweenMember States.

It is APSA’s role to issue scientific reports,recommendations and warnings on issuesrelating to human nutrition, animal healthand well-being, plant health and GMOs.APSA is also responsible for collecting and analysing data to determine risks to food safety, and for creating andpromoting an information network betweeninterested parties.

In addition to its Board of Directors, APSAalso has a Scientific Committee, which is anindependent group of experts who will

advise on issues in the areas of riskassessment, science, technology andresearch. APSA also has a ConsultativeCouncil, which comprises membersrepresenting a broad range of interestsdrawn from various sectors of the foodindustry and consumers organisations.

For further information on APSA, see:www.agenciaalimentar.pt

Department of Agriculture dairy science laboratory staffat the regional meeting in Kilkenny.

DAF: Meat and Meat Products

The veterinary public health service of DAF is responsible for ensuring the highest standards of food safety and animal welfare areachieved in all EU approved meat processing plants (approx 200) under the control of DAF. This is done through inspection, monitoringand surveillance programmes in meat slaughtering and processing premises for compliance with EU and National meat Regulations.

DAF veterinary inspectors are permanently located in all EU approved slaughterhouses and cutting plants. Other meat processing plantsthat do not have a permanent presence are inspected regularly by veterinary officers to ensure compliance with the meat hygiene legislation.

DAF: Milk and Milk Products

DAF is responsible for enforcing the EU milk and milk products legislation, Directive 92/46/EC, transposed by S.I. No. 9 of 1996, throughthe inspection of milking facilities on the farm, milk pasteurisation plants and premises manufacturing milk products.The dairy produceinspectorate has responsibility for the inspection of all establishments manufacturing milk-based products, and farms on which milk formanufacturing is produced.The veterinary inspectorate is responsible for establishments which process milk for human consumption.There are currently almost 200 milk processing establishments approved and inspected by DAF.

fsai 9

Dr Isabel Maria Meirelles Teixeira, CEO,APSA

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Introduction In March 2004, the FSAIcommissioned a study, entitled;‘Surveillance of dairy herdssupplying raw milk to farmhousecheese makers for verocytotoxinproducing E. coli O157 and otherVTEC’. Examination of thesamples is undertaken at theveterinary food safetylaboratory, Cork CountyCouncil, and the Centre forFood Safety, located in theFaculty of Veterinary Medicineat University College Dublin.

Following discussions withmembers of Cáis (the Irishfarmhouse CheesemakersAssociation) and individualcheese producers, it was agreed

that participation of herd owners would be on a voluntary basis.All herd owners have shown real enthusiasm towards theirinvolvement in this surveillance project.This monitoring programme,based on milk filter residue analysis, undertaken during a number ofseasonal cycles, has established (ongoing) baseline data on theprevalence and characteristics of VTEC organisms in lactatinganimals (bovines, ovines, caprines) supplying the farmhouse cheese sector.

BackgroundEscherichia coli (E. coli) O157 is but one of a group of verocytotoxin-producing E. coli (VTEC) associated with severe disease in humans.Mild infection may result in bloody or non-bloody diarrhoea but inacute cases serious complications like haemolytic uremic syndrome(HUS) may develop. Although, E. coli O157 is the most renownedVTEC, other serogroups, including O26, O111, O103, O145 andO121 have the potential to cause serious human illness.A number ofnon-O157 VTEC infections in humans (mostly in children) have beenreported in Ireland. Human cases attributed to O26 have alreadybeen documented in the North West region of Ireland.A recent caseinvestigation highlighted the fact that sheep and equine faeces can bea potent source of highly virulent E. coli organisms. However, thesource of most non-O157 outbreaks is largely unknown.

Healthy domestic animals, in particular, ruminants like cattle, sheepand goats can harbour O157 VTEC and other VTEC in their faeces.These species are regarded as natural reservoirs of these organisms.Milk filters can be used efficiently and cost effectively to monitorfaecal shedding, direct milk secretion and environmentalcontamination for these organisms.

MethodologiesThis surveillance project involves 74 milk production holdingsthroughout Ireland. 56 of these are bovine herds, 13 are caprine andthe final five are ovine herds. Cáis members, individual cheeseproducers and the local authority veterinary officers have facilitatedin herd participation and with sample collection. The samplingprogramme is divided into three cycles thereby each farm is testedon three separate occasions (where possible). Both cycles A and Bare now complete and cycle Cáis underway.

All milk filters are analysed by conventional microbiologicalprotocols. Immunomagnetic separation (IMS) is used to test for thepresence of the E. coli strains, on a serogroup-specific basis.Any suspect colonies are confirmed using molecular methods suchas polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Further characterisation toidentify markers of virulence and pathogenicity is undertaken on allserogroups isolated. Each isolate is examined for the presence ofboth verocytotoxins (vt1/vt2), the hemolysin encoding gene (hlyA)and the gene encoding attaching and effacement (eae).

ResultsTo date five verocytotoxigenic E. coli O157 isolates have beendetected. Another 20 E. coli O157 isolates were found but thesewere deficient for the verocytotoxin genes. Twelve E. coli O26isolates have been detected, three of which were verocytotoxigenic,seven isolates contained the attaching and effacement gene (eae)only, and two isolates expressed none of the virulence factorsexamined, (Table). No E. coli O111 isolates have been detected todate.While, product and bulk milk examinations have been carriedout on all VTEC positive production holdings, no VTEC organisms were detected.

All herd-owners are notified of the laboratory results. A back upadvisory service has been provided by Cáis specialist adviser,Sara McSweeney located at Teagasc Moorepark and the VeterinaryDepartment of Cork County Council.

Future workAn unexpected finding in the study has been the number of E. coliO157 isolates that were VTEC deficient and the number of O26isolates that were VTEC negative, but showed other virulencefactors (Table 1). A database of these isolates has been establishedand the organisms will be further characterised to establish theirpotential pathogenicity and their flagellar gene status.

On completion of the sampling programme, all isolates recoveredwill also be phenotypically characterised to determine antimicrobialresistance profiles and genotypically characterised, using pulsed-fieldgel electrophoresis (PFGE) or multiple-locus variable-number oftandem repeat analysis (MLVA). This will enable the comparativeanalysis of human, animal and environmental isolates.

This surveillance project has identified a number of VTEC-positiveherds, which may be supplying milk for unpasteurised cheese andalso for the production of unpasteurised ice cream. Although, allproducts tested from these holdings are VTEC negative, routinesurveillance of milk production holdings for VTEC and other suchpathogens is of public health importance.

verocytotoxin producing e. coli o157 and other vtec: surveillance

Table 1: Summary of the virulence characteristics in theE. coli isolates

E. coliO111

0

0

0

0

Virulence markers/genes

vt1, eae & hlyA

vt2, eae & hlyA

eae only

No virulence factors

E. coliO157

0

5

0

20

E. coliO26

3

0

7

2

VTEC work being carried out in thenew category 3, containmentlaboratory at the Veterinary FoodSafety Lab, Cork County Council,Inniscara, Co. Cork

fsai 11

A very successful conference of the LocalAuthority Veterinary Service (LAVS) washeld at the headquarters of the Institute ofPublic Administration on April 7th and 8th.The opening address was given by Dr BrianRedahan, Director of Consumer Protection,FSAI, and covered a wide range of issues.He expressed enthusiasm towards workingclosely with the LAVS in a spirit ofteamwork and partnership and identifiedthe implementation of the hygiene packageand the renewal of the service contract askey upcoming issues for the FSAI and the LAVS.

The morning session on the first day wasdevoted entirely to Campylobacteriosis;by far the most common cause of bacterialfood poisoning on both sides of the border;and was chaired by Dr Cliodhna Foley-Nolan, Food Safety Promotion Board.Dr Paul McKeown, Health ProtectionSurveillance Centre, gave a very interestingpresentation that included a brief history ofthe disease and details on current incidencerates. Dr Marita Mahon, Health ServiceExecutive, South-East, then updated theconference on moves towards enhancedsurveillance in the South East area.This wasfollowed by a presentation by Dr John

Moore, Northern Ireland Public HealthLaboratory, on the situation in NorthernIreland. Dr Moore also held a briefdiscussion on Acrobacter and its possibleinvolvement in gastrointestinal disease.The final speaker, Dr Paul Whyte, UniversityCollege Dublin, spoke on a recent study on the molecular characterisation ofCampylobacters in retail foods and humansand on the difficulties in culturing and typingit in the laboratory.

During the afternoon, Mr David Fothpresented on the Verifye system; a system ofdetecting organic contamination duringcarcase inspection.This was followed by theAnnual General Meeting of the LAVS.

On day two, the morning session of theconference was based on the topic of wastemanagement. The first presenter, Mr JohnAherne, Indaver, spoke on incineration andits place in waste management. This wasfollowed by a very interesting and practicaltalk from Dr Anthony Staines on carryingout health impact assessments i.e. assessingthe potential impact of any type ofdevelopment on humans and by extensionanimal populations and the food chain.Dr Iona Pratt, FSAI, then spoke on

toxicology and waste management. Theimportance of this issue was illustrated bythe two examples: 1) the recentcontamination of pig feed with the hormonemedroxy progesterone acetate (MPA), and2) the Belgian dioxin crisis of 1999.The finalspeaker, Dr Eugene Power from the CorkRegional Veterinary Laboratory, spoke aboutthe innovative programme operated by the Cork County Council VeterinaryDepartment that involves the monitoring ofsentinel animals for evidence ofenvironmental pollution. One of theimportant points which arose from thisprogramme was the 60% reduction in dioxinlevels seen in milk in the study area between1991 and 2002.

The topic of waste management inveterinary practices was discussed duringthe afternoon session. Mr Sean O’Laoide,Westmeath County Council, detailed thelegislative issues involved and theresponsibilities of practices particularly withregard to clinical waste, and Mr Robert Kellyfrom Veterinary Environmental ManagementLtd., gave a presentation on the practicalitiesof the issue.

local authority veterinary serviceannual conference

Dr John Moore, Northern Ireland Public Health Laboratory; Dr Marita Mahon, Health Service Executive, South East Region; Dr Brian Redahan, Director of Consumer Protection, FSAI;Dr Cliodhna Foley-Nolan, Chief Specialist Public Health, Food Safety Promotion Board; Dr Paul McKeown, Health Protection Surveillance Centre; Dr Paul Whyte, University College Dublin.

fsai 12

national food surveillance programme, 2005National Microbiological Surveillance

The sampling plan for the 2005 national microbiological surveillanceprogramme is outlined in Table 1. The topic for the first trimestersurvey was agreed following consultation with environmental healthofficers (EHOs) and the official food microbiology laboratories(OFMLs).The second and third trimester surveys form part of theEU Co-ordinated Programme for the Official Control of Foodstuffs2005 as specified in Commission Recommendation 2005/175/EC.For each survey sampling will be carried out in retail premises byEHOs. In addition, sampling for the second trimester survey will becarried out in processing establishments by dairy produceinspectors. All samples will be analysed in the official foodmicrobiology laboratories.

Bacteriological qualityand safety of loosesliced cooked hamCooked sliced ham is a popularconvenient ready-to-eat food. Slicingis a process which is carried out

post-cooking in either the retail premises (i.e. at the point of sale)or in the manufacturing premises. The slicing process poses amicrobiological risk because of: 1) the potential for spread ofmicrobial contamination via the slicing blade onto the cookedproduct and, 2) the increase in the surface area (and thus theexposed area) of the sliced product.

The aim of this study is to assess the microbiological quality andsafety of cooked ham sliced at the point of sale. It follows a nationalmicrobiological survey undertaken in 2003 (January-March) whichinvestigated the bacteriological quality and safety of pre-packedcooked sliced ham (i.e. ham which was sliced and pre-packed inmanufacturing premises).

Bacteriological safetyof cheeses made frompasteurised milkHistorically, cheese was developedas a means of storing excess milkin an appropriate manner over along period of time. Nowadays,

cheese manufacture is a specialised industry with manufacturersranging in size from small farmhouses to multinational companies.

Steps involved in the cheese manufacturing process includeacidification (i.e. transformation of the milk into fresh cheese curd),coagulation, dehydration, shaping and salting. In terms ofmicrobiological safety, the use of pasteurised milk (i.e. milk that hasbeen subjected to a treatment of 71.5oC for 15 seconds orequivalent) is one of the major critical control points in the cheesemanufacturing process.

The aim of this study which will be undertaken as part of the EU Co-ordinated Programme for 2005 is to investigate thebacteriological safety of cheeses (fresh, soft and semi-hard) madefrom pasteurised milk. It is a continuation of the 2004 EU Co-ordinated Programme which investigated the bacteriologicalsafety of cheeses made from raw or thermised milk. Sampling willbe undertaken in retail and processing premises.

Bacteriological safetyof pre-mixed salads In recent years there has been anincrease in the availability ofready-to-eat foods, such as pre-packed mixed salads containingraw vegetables, meat or seafood.

The microbiological safety of pre-mixed salads is related to themicrobiological status of each ingredient. Of particular concern isListeria monocytogenes. This pathogen is ubiquitous in theenvironment and occurs naturally in many raw foods including thoseof plant and animal origin. It is of particular concern in ready-to-eatfoods which do not receive a heat treatment (e.g. salads). In addition,this pathogen is capable of growing at refrigeration temperatures(normal storage conditions for salad products).

Implementation of food safety controls throughout the food chain(i.e. from farm to fork) is essential to prevent the contamination andgrowth of L. monocytogenes and other pathogens. These includegood agricultural practices, good hygiene practices and theimplementation of a food safety management system based on theprinciples of HACCP.

The aim of this study which will be undertaken as part of the EU Co-ordinated Programme for 2005 is to assess the microbiologicalsafety (L. monocytogenes) of pre-mixed salads containing ingredientssuch as raw vegetables, meat or seafood. Sampling will be carried outat retail level.

* These surveys will be undertaken as part of the EU Co-ordinated Programmefor the Official Control of Foodstuffs 2005 (Commission Recommendation2005/175/EC)

Table 1: Sampling plan for the 2005 nationalmicrobiological surveillance programme

Period

January - April2005

May - August2005

September -December2005

Topic

Bacteriological qualityand safety of loosesliced cooked ham

Bacteriological safetyof cheeses made frompasteurised milk*

Bacteriological safetyof pre-mixed salads *

Microbiologicalparameters

ACC Enterobacteriaceae Listeria monocytogenesStaphylococcus aureus Salmonella spp.

Salmonella sppStaphylococcus aureusEscherichia coliListeria monocytogenes

Listeria monocytogenes

fsai 13

S.I. No. 913 of 2004 European Communities (Avian Influenza) (Control on Imports of Avian Products and Live Birds from Certain Asian Countries) (Amendment)Regulations, 2005

S.I. No. 893 of 2004 European Communities (Introduction of Products of Animal Origin from Third Countries for HumanConsumption) Regulations, 2004

S.I. No. 61 of 2005 European Communities (Additives,Colours and Sweeteners in Foodstuffs) Regulations, 2005

S.I. No. 65 of 2005 European Communities (Nutrition Labelling for Foodstuffs) Regulations, 2005

S.I. No. 66 of 2005 European Communities (FoodstuffsIntended For Particular Nutritional Uses ) Regulations, 2005

S.I. No. 67 of 2005 European Communities (Hygiene of Foodstuffs)(Amendment) Regulations, 2005

S.I. No. 68 of 2005 European Communities (Sampling Methods and Methods of Analysis for the OfficialControl of the Levels of certain Contaminants in Foodstuffs)Regulations, 2005

S.I. No. 79 of 2004 European Communities (Natural Mineral Waters Spring Waters and Other Waters in Bottles or Containers) Regulations, 2005

The following Regulations havebeen introduced over the lastfew months in Ireland:

National Chemical Surveillance

There are two chemical components to the EU Co-ordinatedProgramme for the Official Control of Foodstuffs, 2005 as specifiedin Commission Recommendation 2005/175/EC.They are as follows:

1) Assessing thesafety, quality andlabelling of poultrymeat as regards theuse of waterretention agents EU surveillance has identifiedpoultry meat and poultry meatpreparations being placed on the market containing excessive water,and hydrolysed proteins, which are used as water retention agents.The aim of this study is to determine if water retention agents arebeing used in chilled and frozen poultry meat (chicken breast) andfrozen poultry preparations (chicken breast) and to check forcorrect labelling.

2) Assessing the safetyof certain foods forinfants and youngchildren as regardsthe levels for nitrateand patulinFoodstuffs containingcontaminants exceeding thelevels which are toxicologically

acceptable may pose a potential risk to public health, especially forsensitive groups of the population such as infants and youngchildren. Specific maximum levels of nitrate and patulin in foodintended for infants and young children have been set inCommission Regulation (EC) No. 466/2001 and CommissionRegulation (EC) No. 655/2004.

Patulin is a toxin produced by a number of fungal species.Althoughit can occur in many mouldy fruits, grain and other foods, the majorsources of patulin contamination are apple products. Nitrate is anenvironmental / agricultural contaminant.

The aim of this study is to verify that the levels of nitrate and patulinin foods for infants and young children do not exceed the limits setin these Regulations. In particular, foods containing carrots, potatoesand leafy vegetables will be examined for nitrate and foodscontaining apple will be tested for patulin.

fsai 14

codex committee on fish and fishery products The Codex Committee on Fish and FisheryProducts (CCFFP) held its most recentmeeting (27th session) in Capetown, SouthAfrica at the beginning of March. Thepurpose of the CCFFP is to establishinternationally acceptable standards toallow for the fair trade in fish and fisheryproducts across international markets.

This was the first occasion on which aCodex Committee met in a developingcountry, and although hosted by SouthAfrica, the Committee itself was chaired byNorway. Delegates attended from Ireland,the European Union and EuropeanEconomic Area Member States, theEuropean Council and the EuropeanCommission (DG-SANCO and DG-FISH).Observers were also present from othercountries and international organisations.

There were a number of items on theagenda which were of particular interest,including:

• The Joint Food and AgricultureOrganization / Inter-GovernmentalOrganisation Conference / World HealthOrganization ad hoc ExpertConsultation on Biotoxins in MolluscanBivalves

• The draft Code of Practice for Fish andFishery Products

• The proposed draft Standard for Liveand Raw Bivalve Molluscs

• The proposed draft Standard for QuickFrozen Scallop Adductor Muscle Meat

• The proposed draft Standard for Ready-to-Eat Smoked Fish.

Apart from the plenary sessions, ad-hocworking groups were also formed duringthe week-long meeting to progress anumber of items. The EC held regularmeetings to co-ordinate the EU positionand contribution on the different agendaitems.

Further information on Codex and theCCFFP can be obtained from the website:www.codexalimentarius.net

wireless access points in abbey courtFrom the end of April 2005, visitors to theFSAI with wireless-enabled computers willbe able to connect to the internet viaaccess points (‘wireless hotspots’) installed

in our Abbey Court premises.To connect toan access point, the visitor enters an accesscode from a voucher issued at reception, tocover the duration of the visit to the FSAI.

Information notices will be displayedthroughout the FSAI offices.

The current service contracts with officialagencies will expire on 31st December2005. The service contracts have a threeyear duration, with the current contracts inplace since 1st January 2003.They specify anagreed level and standard of food safetyactivity that the agencies undertake undercontract to the FSAI.

The first meetings between FSAI and theofficial agencies to negotiate the newservice contracts will commence in April2005. The revised contracts will reflect thenew hygiene legislation in place from January1st 2006 and will build on the food safetyobjectives currently in place.

servicecontractreview

recent publicationsThe following publications have recently been produced by the FSAI:

Reports

• Salt and Health: Review of the Scientific Evidence and Recommendations for Public Policy in Ireland

• Annual Report, 2003

• Report on Zoonoses in Ireland, 2002 & 2003

Guidance Note

• Guidance Note No. 7 -The Labelling of Fish and Aquaculture Products accordingto the European Communities (Labelling of Fishery and Aquaculture Products)Regulations, 2003 (S.I. No. 320 of 2003) - Revision 1

Leaflets

• Folic Acid:Today and Everyday

• Food Safety Information Centre

• Understanding Food Labelling (updated)

fsai 15

butchershop supervisionOn the 22nd December 2004, the Minister for Agriculture and Foodsigned three new Statutory Instruments changing the definition of‘consumer’ in the National Meat Regulations (Fresh Meat, MincedMeat and Meat Preparations and Meat Products Regulations). Theeffect is that from 1st January 2005, any retail butcher who suppliesany other food business with meat products or other products of animal origin must comply with the requirements of the Meat Regulations.

Prior to this amendment retail butcher shops supplying directly toconsumers and/or to the catering trade were supervised byenvironmental health officers in the Health Service Executive (HSE),under the EC (Hygiene of Foodstuffs) Regulations, 2000. However,any butchershop selling (wholesaling) to other retail premises had tocomply with the terms of the meat Regulations and are supervisedby the local authority veterinary inspectors.There were a number ofpremises to which both sets of Regulations (Hygiene of Foodstuffsand meat Regulations) applied. In such cases the supervision of thepremises was a joint responsibility.

In light of the change in definition where ‘consumer’ means theultimate consumer of a meat product and other products of animalorigin who will not use the product as part of any food business

operation or activity there has been ongoing discussion between theFSAI, the Local Authority Veterinary Inspectorate and the principalenvironmental health officers (PEHOs). The main issue to beaddressed was the application of the meat Regulations to thoseretail butchers who are involved in the supply of meat products andother products of animal origin to catering establishments and otherretailers.A survey of butchershop activity carried out by EHOs hashelped inform decision making. Figure 1 shows the distribution perweek (in kgs) by butchershop type.

On 11th Feb 2005 the following was proposed at a meeting heldbetween FSAI and the PEHOs:

The meat Regulations would be applied as a priority to retailbutchers who satisfy the following criteria:

1. supply 20% or more (by value of sales) of their trade tocustomers other than final consumer, and

2. where the total amount of meat/meat products/minced meatetc. sold is on average 500kgs/week or more

Nationally the number of premises this applies to is approximately80. It was proposed that these premises would be transferred to thesupervision of the Local Authority Veterinary Service.

Premises not satisfying these criteria would remain with theEnvironmental Health Service, including those requiring authorisationfor the removal of backbone under the European Communities(Removal of Bovine Vertebral Column) Regulations (S.I. No. 528 of2004). These Regulations make it an offence to remove vertebralcolumn in butcher’s premises without authorisation to do so.

The criteria for deciding on the supervision of retail butchers will bereconsidered when national law implementing the hygiene packageis available. Under the new legislation, applicable from 1st January2006, retail butchers may, subject to national rules, be able to supplyother retailers in a ‘marginalised, localised and restricted’ trade.

≤500 Kgs

Direct over the counter sales to retail consumers

(selling 80% or more)

Wholesaler(selling >20% to wholesalers)

638776

49 79

≤500 Kgs>500 Kgs >500 Kgs

Figure 1: Distribution of Meat Sales per Week (inKgs) by Butcher Shop Types

open consultationThere is currently one open consultation on the FSAI website:

Draft Guidance Note on the European Communities (FoodSupplements Regulations) 2003, S.I. No. 539 of 2003 and thenotification of food supplements.

The draft Guidance Note aims to provide information on theimplementation, enforcement and compliance with the FoodSupplements Regulations, S.I. No. 539 of 2003 (which transposesDirective 2002/46/EC on food supplements). It concerns foodsupplements currently on sale in Ireland, in addition to those beingmanufactured or imported directly, or through third parties i.e. agents.

The draft document sets out the notification procedure for foodsupplement products manufactured in or imported into Ireland and

which are being placed on the Irish market for the first time. It alsocovers such areas as food supplements legislation, definitions,differences between food supplements and medicines and derogations.

The consultation will remain open until Friday, 3rd June 2005.

Reducing Neural Tube Defects in Ireland:A Consultation onFood Fortification with Folic Acid in Ireland

A consultation on the fortification of food with folic acid is open onthe website: www.folicacid.ie. The consultation aims to provide anopportunity for comment on folic acid food fortification and invitescomment on three policy options to ensure women in Ireland haveenough folic acid at time of conception.

Closing date for submissions is 24th June 2005.

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newappointment

Dr Brian Redahan has recently been appointedDirector of Consumer Protection with theFSAI. A medical doctor, he has a wide range ofexperience in the health service, both in aclinical and managerial capacity. Prior to takingup this position, Dr Redahan was Deputy ChiefExecutive Officer of the former East CoastArea Health Board, now part of the newHealth Service Executive. A graduate of theRoyal College of Surgeons and the NationalUniversity of Ireland, he completed his highertraining in general practice in the UK andworked as a family doctor in Ireland for anumber of years. He was appointed as medicalofficer in the former Eastern Health Board in1990, and subsequently moved to the WesternHealth Board as Director of CommunityCare/Medical Officer for Health for Mayo. Hecommenced his managerial career as generalmanager for Community Care Services inWicklow in 1998, and later became a memberof the senior management team of the formerEast Coast Area Health Board.

As Director of Consumer Protection, DrRedahan will be responsible for developing andmanaging a multi-disciplinary team with a focuson protecting the health of the consumer.He will work closely with staff of the officialagencies and the food industry to promote andencourage the highest standards of food safetyand hygiene in Ireland.

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Editor:Edel Conway

Contributors:

Anne Marie BolandMartine Brennan

Jim BuckleyGail Carroll

Conall CallearyMary Friel

Jean KennedyDavid Lyons

Karen McGillicuddyAileen O’Sullivan

Iona Pratt

Permission is granted to reproduceinformation contained herein with

appropriate credit.

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E-mail: newsletter@fsai.ieWebsite: www.fsai.ie